Aging Pipes To Blame For Wendover Avenue Sinkhole

Greensboro, NC - It only takes a very small sinkhole to cause major traffic headaches, as was seen by Greensboro drivers on Sunday after a two-foot wide sinkhole caused all eastbound lanes of Wendover Avenue to be shutdown for most of Sunday afternoon.

Crews with Greensboro's Water Resources Department responded quickly, but on a busy road like Wendover, the only safe way to make the repairs is to close the entire street.

The sinkhole was caused by a sewer line that was leaking according to the Greensboro Water Resources Department. Leaks can go undetected for years, and as the water pools, it causes the pavement to sink.

Patrick Smith, Superintendent with the Greensboro Water and Sewer Department said that section of Wendover is one of the oldest parts of the city, and the water and sewer lines can be up to 70 years old.

Smith said, "This is part of our older infrastructure, which we tend to have problems like this on older parts of town."

The Greensboro Department of Water Services has a large scale pipe rehab program, but with miles of pipe's to fix, the city is on a 100 year plan to replace and rehab all of the aging pipes.

This is better than other cities, according to the Water Resources Director Steven Drew, who told News 2 other cities have 500 year plans.